Factor Topic: Energy Engaging Solar as a Design Expression on Site Shihab Naeem 02/23/13 History: The Northpoint Site is a relevant site in the greater Boston region because it presents itself as a new opportunity for a newer design model. Boston is a city that doesn’t have much land to expand. Over the years, Boston has had to infill areas with water to create new developments. Such examples are the back bay area which was marshy land, the New Convention Center in South Boston. Because of the lack of space in the greater Boston area a brownfield site such as North Point presents itself as a great opportunity for development. Problem: Global warming is a reality and the consequences of climate change take many forms. The extreme weather conditions are a few examples. The reliance on fossil fuels has dangers not just with depleting ozone but creating air pollution that deprives human health and well-being. China, a country that has grown immensely without regard for either neither the worker nor the environment is suffering from intense smog. Along with the problems of pollution and the depletion of the ozone, there is the problem of the diminishing supply of oil. The usage of oil is exceeding the extraction of oil. This calls for an urgency to exploit renewables. Although there is emerging newer technologies in exploiting oil through tar sands and exploiting natural gas through fracking, such procedures are highly risky endeavors. Although such technology indicates that there may be a larger supply of fossil fuels, such procedures have had damaging effects on the environment like the contamination of drinking water through fracking.
Graph Shows how the consumption of fossil fuel is exceeding production (11, Andy van den Dobbelsteen)
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